Improved animal-trap



Wwf/4 Jim/@ -iinited States @anni @Whe Letters Patent No. 99,245, dated January 25, 1870.

IMPROVEID ANIMAL-TRAP.

The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making part of the same.

To all whomtt may concern. Y

Be it knownthat I, H. SEEHAUSEN, of Memphis, in the county ot' Shelby, and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Animallrap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clean-,and exact description thereof, which will e11- able othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

" forming partof this specification.

'.Lhis invention relates to anew and useful improvement in tra-ps for catching animals, andconsists in arranging a drop 'door in a snitably-constructed cage or box, which door is elevated when the trap is set, and held in position by means of a rod attached to an apron, which apron is raised by the animal, and the trap sprung, as hereinafter more fully described.

The accompanying drawing represents a side view of a trap, constructed according to my invention.

A isthe trap, which may be of any form or size.

On one Side or end there is an opening, as seen at B.

C is a drop-door or plate, which, when down, eifectnally closes the opening B. It slides in grooves loosely, so that when it is unsupported,'it readily falls, by its own gravity.

This door is supported in a raised position, when the trap is set, by the rod D, which is rigidly attached to the apron E, and .stands at a right angle therewith, (or nearly s0,) as seen in the drawing.

The apron E is hinged to a cross-pin or threshold, F, on to which the door O drops, and it rest-s on small blocks G, (one or inore,) so that it is raised a little distance above the floor H of the trap, as seen.

Near the top of the rod D there is a bend, as seen at I, which bend forms a rest for the door, when the apron is down and the trap set, as seen in the drawinr.

represents the bait, which is placed beneath the apron.

The animal (a rat, for instance,) will go into the cage over the apron, and, in his eibrts to get at the bait, he will raise the apron, which will throw the shoulder I from under the drop-door, which will fall and confine him in the cage.

A wire rod may be attached to the top of the dropdoor, for raising it, or any vother means lnay be pro vided for that purpose. apron will fall to a horizontal position, which will bring the support under the door again, and set the trap ready for another operation. l

This a cheap, simple, and effectual arrangement for securing rats and other noxious animals.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to securel by Letters Patent- The drop-door C, rod D, and apron E, combined with the cage A, (or its equivalent,) when the same are arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

H. SEEHAUSEN.

Witnesses W. L. INGRAM, S. M. Wnssox When the door is raised, the 

